ever hit upon. The figure is the perfection of feminine beauty, with none of the pomp of the goddess, reclining in the soft graces of a voluptuous but simple form. The marble seems, from the exquisite truth of execution, to have a warmth, and the contours are rounded and soft as those of Titian. The lion is a majestic beast, worthy of the load he bears. The statue stands on a pedestal, turning on a pivot, for the convenience of viewing it in various lights. Danekker had this admirable statue fifteen years in hand he executed it for Mr. Bethmann, and received one thousand guineas for his inimitable labours: Mr. B. has, I understand, since been offered for it nearly three times that sum. The artist is now employed for him on another work to match it. E. C.

Frankfort.

ART. IX. Mr. LANDSEER on Chalk Engraving.

TO THE EDITOR OF ANNALS OF THE FINE ARTS.

SIR,

THE course of my reading for the last year and a half having taken a new direction, I have to apologize for not having perused the fourth volume of your ANNALS OF THE FINE ARTSs till very lately. Is there not a little too much about my sons in it? I am afraid there is, considering that they are but youthful students: but let that

pass. I now take up the pen on account of the mention that, in pp. 133-4, is made of myself.

You are therein pleased to compliment me with being "the best writer on the art" (engraving) "in our times." This may be even more than a little too much. I hereby confess quantum sufficit of diffident confusion at sight of this compliment, and wish that your printer would here insert his hieroglyphic, if he has one, or note, of a congee of reasonable profundity.

Apart from this ticklish point, Sir, I apprehend that it behoves you, as you value the reputation of consistency, or aim at that of wisdom, not to exhibit the weakness of him whose strength you would assert; far less to join the interested and half-witted crew who would attribute to me what their own idle fears have conjured up-I mean the weakness of "anathematizing," if this word be seriously used, the art of engraving in the chalk manner, or as it is expressed in your publication, with still further variance from the truth, "the mixed style of line and point."

Some years ago, a coarse-minded and loquacious man, who had qualified himself for an office of scandal by having been footman and occasional clerk to a stipendiary magistrate in the country, and who had moreover a smattering of the stippling art, came up to London, and with the assistance of a pupil of Mr. Heath, became an inferior practitioner in this branch of engraving:

and it so happened that this noisy, conceited, obtrusive and licentious person, having taken umbrage at certain truths uttered by me in public, was accustomed to revenge himself by such misstatements as appear now to be creeping, through some unnoticed loop-hole, I suppose, into your publication. What this man said or wrote I never thought it worth while to contradict. In fact

"His praise was censure, and his censure praise."

66

But by Annals," I am bound to suppose, records of truth are meant; and I must therefore request you distinctly to state, that I disclaim the having uttered any such invidious sentiment of the chalk engraver's art as your critic on Mr. Lode's portraits has been pleased to impute to me.

I remember, indeed, in my lectures to have entered into something like an historical statement of the misemployment, by the publishing print-dealers, of the immature efforts of English chalk engraving, which in their ignorant cupidity (I speak of the publishers of twenty or thirty years ago,) they ran after, because it was novel, rapid and cheap: but as I closed even this plain statement of facts of actual occurrence -- of facts of the truth of which the public are since abundantly satisfied-with the following words, I conceive that no man should say I have anathematized the mode of engraving which the writer

of the article in your Annals is so eager to ad

vocate.

"At length, however, this interesting art [of chalk engraving,] fetching a few noble bounds, has escaped from the toils of its pursuers, and now roves at leisure, when, as a means of translating pictures, it is more worthy than ever of being pursued."

You

I hope in future, Mr. Editor, to be more regularly attentive to your publication, and to be able to subscribe myself, Sir, your constant reader, J. LANDSEER. P.S. I observe that your critic avails himself of the seeming authority of Bartolozzi. must allow me to inform him, that it is but seeming for though the practice of that distinguished engraver may appear to favour his view of the question, his own election did not govern his practice; and I venture on my own responsibility to state, that his often expressed opinion was in direct opposition to it.

ART. X. Letter from BURKE to a Student in Art.

TO THE EDITOR OF ANNALS OF THE FINE ARTS.

SIR,

15, Nassau Street, March 14, 1820.

The enclosed original letter of Burke was given to me by the person to whom it was written, which if you think worthy of insertion

in your " ANNALS," out of respect to the taste and talents of its author, it is at your service, by permission of the gentleman to whom the letter was written. I am, Sir,

--

Your most obedient servant,

WILLIAM BEWICK.

[N. B. The Editor has printed the introductory communication nearly as it came, with little alteration. He has seen the original letter from Burke, and has not the slightest doubt of its authenticity, from his knowledge of that great character's hand writing, and other proofs.]

The following anecdote relative to the late Honourable Edmund Burke is communicated in gratitude to his memory, principally to introduce a letter which he sent to Alderman Carr, of York, to be delivered to the person by whom this anecdote is communicated. My occupation was that of a diamond jeweller. In the summer of 1786 I was going to York on foot: when I had got six miles on the Uxbridge road, I heard a voice behind me saying to a servant on horseback, "Ask that gentleman how far he is going before he stops." The carriage having reached me, the person within it asked me if I would step in? I declined, as I was going to stop at , a village called South Hall, about a mile distant. "Do, Sir, come in, it will rest you a little." His manner was so very persuasive that I got in he was reading Buffon's Natural History in French.